Well drill



FRANKLIN lVI. HOLDER, 0F OXFORD, LOUISIANA.

WELL DRILL.'

Application filed March 8, 1926. Serial No. 93,319.

rlhis invention relatos to well drills and one object of the invention is to so construct the vdrill that if one of the longitudinally extending sections of the drill works out of engagement with a companion section it will be prevented vfrom becoming entirely detached from the companion section. It often happens that when drilling a well the sections of the drill'will become detached andthe lower Iportion has to be removed by a fishing operation. L This is Very diliicult to accomplish and it is often necessary to abandon the well. v

Another object of the invention is to so form the means for preventing entire detachment of the drill sections that the passage of slush upwardly through the hollow drill will not be interfered with.

Another object of the invention is to so form the improved connecting means for the drill sections that it may be readily applied to drills of a conventional construction.

panying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 isa longitudinal sectional View through the lower portion of theimproved drill, and

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the lineQ--Q of Fig. 1. 1

The well drill forming the subject-matter of this invention includes a shaft having the usual tubular sections 1 which are detachably connected at their adjacent ends by couplings 2. It will be understood that any number of tubular shaft sections 1 may be provided according to the depth of the well, and that these sections are to befjoined together by the couplings'as the depth of the well increases. The adjacent end portions of the sections 1 are threaded externally and preferably tapered, as shown at 3, and are screwed into the internally threaded end portions 4 of the coupling which connects them. The lowerniost-shaft section has its lower en'd internallythreaded, as shown at 5, to receive the threaded shank 6 of the' extending slush'passages4 9 are formed in' the bit so that slush may be forced through the drill as indicated by arrows in Fig. 1

into the bottom of the well and carrythe cuttings. upwardly about the drill shaft to the top of the well in the usual manner. The couplings are of a duplicate construction and each has its intermediate portion 10 internally thickened and formed with threaded sockets 11 which communicate through the bore 12so that slush which enters the lower section 1 maypass upwardly through sucing an opening 17 formed axially therein,

the. opening 17 of the nipple 14 being formed with smooth walls and the opening of the nipplesA 13 and 15 being threaded. One or more side openings or ports. 18 are n. formed in each nipple and the nipple 13 is This invention is illustrated in the accomformed with openings 19 which are located above its openings 18 and close to its head 16. By having the nipples 4formed with the openings 18, the slush may readily pass downwardly through the hollow shaft from one section to another and through the .passages 9 into, the bottom of the well. The

swivel rods 20 which serve to prevent comdat 21, and its upper en' portion formed with an enlarged head 22. The threaded lower end portions of the swivel -rods shown in` the illustration are screwed into the threadedopenings 17 of the nipples 13 and 15 and are prevented from.`being removed therefrom by Cotter keys 23. The cotter key of the lower rod 20 is inserted into the opening formed therein througlli one of the ports 18 of the nipple 15 and tie cotter key carried by the second rod 20 is inserted in the opening formed therein through one of the openings 19 and hasthejfree ends of its arms Ymoved to a locking position by a screw-` driver-or other similar instrument inserted through tlie second opening 19. It will,

therefore, be seen that the swivel rods will `be securely held in engagement with. the

nipples 13. and 15 but may be released therefrom' when desired. The upper end' portions of the swivel rods extend-through the Unthreaded openings 17 of thenipples 14 carried bythe various couplings andwhile the rods may havelimited sliding-movement in these couplings they are prevenleditrom moving downwardly out of engagement with the couplings lby their heads QQ. lt Y will, of course, bey understood that the rods arev passed downward-ly throughv the foonplings 14 and have their lower ends then screwed into engagement with eilher the coupling' 15 or al cooperating coupling i3.

When the drill is in use, the sections-torming the hollow shaft and the bitare assembled as shoivninfFigf. 1 and as the well increases .in depth additional shaft sections ar'e applied to its upper end above the ground. 7,' Diiring'the drilling" operation, the

` I drill is rotatedin thehole 'so that aI hole y cross section. .20

the drilling of a Well 'the tubular shaft formis `formed' which is substantiallyy circular 'in This rotary movement takes place while the--drill-is-being rciprocated in thewelL .It oftenhappensthat during lng sections will become detached Vtronrthe' f couplings andthe-lower portion of the drill" will remain in the bottom of the'we'll. A Ii theybe'conicdetachedwhile the drill is be-,`

. fing lifted, the lower vportion will drop\,and oftenbend when` it vstrikes thejbottom of the well.. 'This causesitto be jammedr in the: well and .-even'if itsupper end `can be en#A gaged `with a' fishing tool itis'impossibl'e to extract'it 'and the well must be'abandoned,

is often impossible to. engage it with.. a islr.v ing tool. By having .the drill"f'o'rmed.` vas vshown in ,Figc- 1, a drill is `prevented from dropping in a wellwhen one.- section works ont of engagement with -the 'coupling conn coting it 'with-an adJacent section ,as'the swivel -rod may only' movedow nvvardlyl the distance'bet-ween'it's head22 and the headA U16 of the nipple lll in,V which itis-s'eated.

Therefore, the shaft section cannot'becolneentirely released from thelcoupling connect'- ing itv'with' an upper shaft section and there,

A, will be no danger-of 'the lower portion of a drill droppin-g ina well and ruining the well.y 'v' 1. AA wen tenir-comprising tubular se# l 1' `tionsdisposedfone above another, acoupling disposed. between and detachably engaged" withsadjacent "ends-of saidA sections, .af bit -detachably'f` engaged with the lower; end of,

the lewestione Vofsaid tubular sections, nipplesjd'etachably engaged witlrsaid 'bit and coupling 'and-extending intd adjacent en d portions `of said tubular s ec`tions,rand means extending,` through said `tubular sections v and .engaged with said nipples 'to limitv movement ofthe tnbular'secti'ons awayffrom each other when detached from said coupling and pre-1 vent vcomplete separation thereof;

2, A well drill comprising tubular sections -disposed one above another and having threaded end portions, a .coupling sleeve 'having lthreaded vengngeinent with adjacent ends otsaid sections and having its inter-` mediate portion internally thiclfcned andl pling sleevesand' prevent complete separation thereof..

A well drill comprising tubular sections disposed one above another and hav- .ing threaded end portions, avcoupling sleeve having threaded 'engagement' with adjacentends of vasid setionsand having its inter: mediate portion internally thickened' and threaded, ,a bit in threadedengageme'nt with the lower end of the lowest, one of said tubupling sleeve and extending into lthe end 'portions of said tubular f sectionsand swivel lar sections and each having one end detachably engaged' with a nipple and its other 'end slidablyand rotatably'e'ngaged with a nipple and provided with means for limiting its sliding movement.

. -4 A well drill comprising tubular Isections disposed one above another and hav- `ring threaded end portions,'a coupling sleeve 'lar-se'c, t ions, nipples screwed into engagement with saidy bit and, the internally threaded intermediate .portion of said cou- 95 rods extend-ing longitudinally in said tubuhaving .threaded engagement withv adjacent, l

ends'. o-said sections and having its intermediate portion internally thickened and threaded, a bit in threaded engagement with 'the lower end lofthe lowest `one of said tubu-A lar sections', nipples screwed into engagement with'` said bit and the internally threadedintermediate portionv of said coupling, sleeve 'and extending into the end portions of said tubular-sections, and swivel rods extending longitudinally' inA said tubular sections'and each having one end in threaded 1 engagement with a' cooperating nipple Yand its/otherendextending into a r4cooperatingAnipple and slidalole and rotatabletherein and provided with a headto engage the-nipple and limitsliding Inove-l ment vvin one .direction and thereby, limit c Amovelnentfoii the tubular sections'away from 'disposed between and detachably engage ,with adjacent ends of said sections, a bit .detuchably engaged with the lower end 0f the lowest one of said tubular sections' and formed with aslush passa e, hollow nipples detachably engaged wit said coupling and extending into said tubnlar sections and communicating with each other through the coupling and formed with side opening -for communication with the tubular sections, a similar nipple detachably engaged with the inner end `of said bit and communcating with the slush passage thereof and interior of the lowest tubularv section, and swivel rods extendin lon itudinallyin` having 'one said tubular sections an eac end detaehalolyl engaged with a cooperating nipple and its other end slidably and rote; yta y received in a cooperating nipple -xmd provided with a head to limit its sliding movement.

In testimon whereof I aix my si nature` FRAN IN M. HOLDER. 

